Every company wants the best and the brightest to join its staff. To find these employees, many organizations rely on recruiting firms to locate and reach out to the top talent in the company’s industry. But the recruiting game has changed in recent years, and today’s talent seekers need to have an appealing pitch and a clear strategy to attract the right candidates. Five hiring experts offered their tips for recruiting in today’s social media-driven job market.

Look beyond the résumé

Social media profiles have become standard tools for researching and evaluating talent. Instead of only looking at a candidate’s résumé, thoroughly vet them by looking at their LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media profiles.

“Candidates’ social media profiles [can highlight] personal experiences and interests that tie into professional lives and skills, and may show the person is a perfect fit,” said Pete Kazanjy, founder of recruiter search engine TalentBin. “[Depending] on the type of job you’re recruiting for, make sure you’re looking at the right social networking sites to find candidates who may be off your radar.”

Kazanjy noted that engaging with potential candidates on social media can be to your advantage, regardless of whether they are interested in the position you’re offering right now.

“Although the person may be content where they are now, you never know what the future has in store,” he said. “Engaging with candidates on their personal profiles allows you to form a relationship.”

Expand your search area

Even just a decade ago, it might have seemed like a distant dream to have full-time, off-site employees with the same exact technological capabilities as workers in the office. Today, advancements in cloud computing and video conferencing have opened the doors to hiring remote staff members, so recruiters are no longer limited to candidates in close geographic proximity to the company’s headquarters.

“If your company is located in a competitive hiring market, you’d be better off searching for top talent in a less competitive area,” said Anthony Smith, founder and CEO of CRM software company Insightly. “Technology allows for smooth collaboration and communication no matter where employees are located, so you don’t need to lose out on experts in your field because of where your company is based.”

Use existing employees to market your company

Sometimes the best way to attract a candidate to your organization is to show off the people he or she will join there. Taso Du Val, founder and CEO of global tech industry network Toptal, advised highlighting your company’s existing talent during the recruiting process.

“Talented individuals want to work with top talent, so showcasing the all-stars already on your team can help validate why other high-quality candidates should hop on board,” Du Val said.

You can also use your current employees as a recruiting tool by sharing their positive testimonials with prospective candidates.

“Ask employees why they like working for your company,” said Sandy Mazur, president of staffing firm Spherion. “When you’re vetting talent, share some of the feedback and anecdotes that your workers shared with you, as those may resonate with candidates and attract them to the job.”

Put your mission on display

A mission of social good really resonates with today’s employees, especially those of Generation Y. For that reason, Charley Polachi, managing partner of Polachi Access Executive Search, recommended highlighting your company’s mission when reaching out to candidates.

“People want to think they’re doing something meaningful and valuable,” he told Business News Daily. “They want to change the world one day at a time. [A great] company mission will align with candidates’ own personal values.”